A general manager (GM) in gridiron football is a sports management executive that typically oversees rosters and contracts for a team. GMs answer directly to the team's owner in such an organizational model and are viewed as the team's most senior position in football operations. Notable National Football League (NFL) general managers include Tex Schramm, Bill Polian, Ron Wolf, Bobby Beathard, Gil Brandt, and George Young.
Professional football The general manager (GM) is typically the head of football operations, which includes leading the scouting department and being responsible for handling free agent transactions and contract negotiations with players and coaches. The scouting department's role is to evaluate college football players entering the annual NFL draft. During the NFL Combine, general managers will interview players.
Many GMs begin their front office career as an assistant scout and are promoted into roles such as director of college scouting or vice president of player personnel before being GM. The GM is also responsible for negotiating contracts with players and coaches. As with head coaches and some players, GMs are required by the NFL to attend press conferences with the media. During the season, general managers will work 100 hours or more a week. Pro Football Hall of Fame general managers include Tex Schramm, Bill Polian, Ron Wolf, Bobby Beathard, Gil Brandt, and George Young.
NFL + List of current NFL general managers Team General manager Since Arizona CardinalsMonti Ossenfort2023Atlanta FalconsIan Cunningham2026Baltimore RavensEric DeCosta2019Buffalo BillsBrandon Beane2017Carolina PanthersDan Morgan2024Chicago BearsRyan Poles2022Cincinnati BengalsDuke Tobin1999Cleveland BrownsAndrew Berry2020Dallas CowboysJerry Jones1989Denver BroncosGeorge Paton2021Detroit LionsBrad Holmes2021Green Bay PackersBrian Gutekunst2018Houston TexansNick Caserio2021Indianapolis ColtsChris Ballard2017Jacksonville JaguarsJames Gladstone2025Kansas City ChiefsBrett Veach2017Las Vegas RaidersJohn Spytek2025Los Angeles ChargersJoe Hortiz2024Los Angeles RamsLes Snead2012Miami DolphinsJon-Eric Sullivan2026Minnesota VikingsNolan Teasley 2026New England PatriotsEliot Wolf2024New Orleans SaintsMickey Loomis2002New York GiantsJoe Schoen2022New York JetsDarren Mougey2025Philadelphia EaglesHowie Roseman2010Pittsburgh SteelersOmar Khan2022San Francisco 49ersJohn Lynch2017Seattle SeahawksJohn Schneider2010Tampa Bay BuccaneersJason Licht2014Tennessee TitansMike Borgonzi2025Washington CommandersAdam Peters2024
College football In the 2020s, the introduction of name, image, and likeness (NIL) and professionalization of college athletics led schools to hire NFL-style general managers to oversee personnel and scouting departments separate from the role of athletic directors. They were introduced with recruiting and staff management as the focus, but evolved as NCAA transfer portal rules relaxed and became a larger aspect of college roster building. Notable early hires include former NFL quarterback Andrew Luck for his alma mater Stanford, former NFL executive Michael Lombardi for North Carolina, and former NFL head coach Ron Rivera for California.
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